Lead Foot

Alright guys. Many of you that followed my first build on this website will expect a quick build. I am doing alot of work on this one while doing some R and D for new products. Don't be surprised if it takes a few months. I am still working on parting out my previous build and will be posting up what items I still have left for sale over the next couple of days.

I posted the start this build a little earlier in the design phase than I normally do because I enjoy getting some feedback and collaborating with the other great minds on this site. Feel free to comment and ask questions as time progresses. Now on to the fun stuff.

The foundation. I picked this beauty up last night for 500 bucks! White 98 Cherokee classic with grey cloth interior, power locks and windows. Blown 4.0, AW4, NP231, D30, and D35? (havent looked). Some minor dents and dings.


Some ideas for the exo, tube bumpers, and tube fenders.


The back diaper style tire carrier will swing out to the side as well as down.


The back bumper and carrier arent complete, I dont have the rock sliders in yet, the suspension is mocked up for visual but not completely designed.


THE BUILD:

Drivetrain:
-I will overhaul my 4.7 stroker that has been sitting for 2 years, eventually plan on running megasquirt with custom tuning.
-I will be running the AW4 auto with FST steptronic PLC controlled shifter.
-Waiting to be installed is my FST 231 doubler, front 231j half case with rear 231c components in a 231j full case, and a Rugged Ridge SYE. Custom made FST gaskets between the clocking rings and adapter to insure no leaks. FST heim shifting linkages. Custom made drivelines.

Axles:
-Rear XJ dana 44 with FST disc brake conversion. Chromoly shafts with dual bolt pattern. 4:88 gears and electric OX locker. FST truss, link brackets, and diff cover.
-Front Ford HP dana 44 narrowed to waggy width. RCV chromoly shafts, 4:88 gears, and aussie locker. Waggy outer knuckles, discs, and solid hubs. FST truss, link brackets, and diff cover.

Suspension:
-6-1/2" height, FST 3-link front and rear with coil conversion.
-5150 Bilsteins, 14" front, 12" rear. 255/170 valving.
-FST 3-link/doubler crossmembers and full belly skid.

Steering:
-FST OTK heim steering with home assembled hydro assist.
-FST OTA track bar
-GT style steering wheel cause the stock one is horribly bulky.

Wheels and Tires:
-37" KM2s or MTRs with Kevlar. I feel a poll coming on...
-Silver Allied Soft 8s (crawler) rims 8" wide w/ custom Orange FST weld-on beadlocks.
-1" wheel spacers for a little more width, but not full size WIDE.

Armor:
-Custom full 1-5/8s tube exo with operating doors. Inner cross bracing on the B pillar.
-FST front tube winch bumper with stinger
-FST rear tube winch bumper with swing out and down diaper style tire carrier. Complete with gas tank skid.
-Custom full tube front fenders and rear flat fenders.
-Cut out rockers, 1.5" up the door with weld in formed 3/16 plate rockers/mini boat sides. 1-5/8s tube runners.

Accessories:
-(2) 8000# smittybilt winches with rope and aluminum fairleads.
-HID headlight conversion and wiring.
-Ridgid Industries Duallys for back up and rock lights.

I probably forgot some details, we'll see how it goes.

ADK_XJ

Holy ****! What is this program you're using to draft that up?! Looks awesome.

Gatchmo5710

Sounds badass! Good luck!

98CherokeeSport

Gonna be ready for nwfest 2012? Haha

Lead Foot

I use autocad 2009 for all my 2D work and print drawings to send to the laser. After I draw all of my lift parts and most of my other stuff up in 2D I transfer it into a program called Rhino 3D. Then extrude, fold, and stretch parts to make sure everything fits and looks right.

I draw all the tube work up in Rhino right on the jeep model. I choose a view: side view, top view, front view. (whatever angle I need to follow the body line I want to follow. Then I rotate the model around to transfer the tube to the other body line. Thats how I get some of these crazy way off axis bends that will definitely be fun to get right.

I found the Cherokee model on Google Sketch 3D Warehouse. It is pretty well to scale, I did have to do some precise measuring and scaling. I always double check all the close tolerance areas on my jeep.

Thanks Gatchmo, I sure hope its worth it. lol

Nope, sadly wont even be close to halfway done by NWFEST. You will probably see me up there with 2 rigs that I built though.

This one



And then my brothers, the one that went with us last time.

Are you in a hurry to run Shoestring with us again? I see you've been doing some upgrading to your rig. I dont know how well you will fit being that wide.

98CherokeeSport

Are you in a hurry to run Shoestring with us again? I see you've been doing some upgrading to your rig. I dont know how well you will fit being that wide. [/QUOTE]

hahaha im skipping shoestring this time. i want to be able to play in the rocks with the new setup.

im no wider than i was before lol just a few inches longer

i will look for ya when i arrive in camp!

XJ4life92

you should make functional tube doors that are tied into the exo. make it summer/winter style. put on the stock doors for cooler weather and take them off and put the tube doors on in summer. i guess youll tie the exo into the sliders? and you should just do coilovers all around. make new mounts for them, baja style popping through the hood and all. lol

Lead Foot

I have thought about tube doors many times but A lot of the trails in my area are EXTREMELY dusty in summer. It's not worth all the dust I would be eating. Maybe I'll change my mind though.

I have decided to go coilovers all the way around. 18" in the front, 14" in the back. FOA reservoirs. Even with an 18" coilover though they are not long enough to have to go through the hood of an XJ. I thought that would look cool too.

TheCK4x4

Sent you a text ...

Lead Foot

I am working in holland until the 5th of august. I am out of the country 2 weeks every month. It is best to get ahold of me by email. Thanks. Froehlichsuspension@live.com

TheCK4x4

Email just sent

XJ4life92

well clearly 18s arent long enough.... dunno if they make longer ones though

RSAJEEP

This is gonna be a cool built, I'm definatly subscribing to this one.

Awesome model of the Jeep you've got there.... Sharing is Caring bud

Anyways cool build man

Lead Foot

lol thanks. Yea, what program do you use? I have been using it in Rhino forever but now Im transfering EVERYTHING to Solidworks. That way I can actually assemble parts, create mates, add motion, gravity, torque, vehicle weight and distribution, center of gravity, spring rates, and then I can actually throw a real life scenario at the design (ie a flexed out, or side hill, or high speed jumping situation) and then monitor stress and reactions of each component.

Shoot me a PM with your email and let me know what program or file type you would like it exported as. I can provide you the body that I actually got off sketchup warehouse and then the "frame" that I drew to scale in autocad. I cant send you the suspension and whatnot for obvious reasons.

93XJLI

Lol what? 18s will be way above your hood. Rigid dually rock lights? Those are expensive to hang UNDER your jeep. What kind of rear suspension, I see a track bar in your mockup.. I know it's just for show but I'm assuming your building a double tri 4 link. Still gonna use hexagonal links?